Suspect in Lancaster teen's murder convicted in felony firearms case

DALLAS - A suspected drug dealer allegedly connected to the disappearance of 13-year-old Shavon Randle was found guilty Wednesday morning.

The federal trial for 27-year-old Darius Fields is not directly related to Randle’s kidnapping and murder. She disappeared last summer in the Dallas suburb of Lancaster. Her body was later found in a vacant Oak Cliff home along with 19-year-old Michael Titus.

As police investigated the girl’s disappearance, they questioned Fields. They allegedly found ammunition in his hotel room and an AK-47 pistol inside the vehicle he was driving.

Jurors unanimously convicted Fields on a charge of being a felon in possession of a gun and aided and abetting a gun purchase. He will be sentenced at a later date and faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.

While no one is charged with killing Randle and Titus, Fields and others are still considered suspects in the case. Prosecutors in the felony firearms trial said the murders were part of a complicated scheme of drugs, money, guns and retaliation. They called Fields the “top man."

Dallas Mayor Pro-Tem Dwayne Caraway, a close observer of the case, said Darius Fields’ federal conviction is a mere piece of the puzzle to get justice for Randle.

"This is one of the first shoes to drop and there are other shoes that are going to continue to drop,” said Caraway.

Police have said Randle was taken in retaliation for stolen drugs. She was shot repeatedly, including once in the head her body discovered in an abandoned house in East Oak Cliff.

Despite no one being charged with Randle's murder, Caraway believes whoever did it will be held accountable.

"We're going to send a signal that we will not tolerate this. Lives matter, especially little girls and everybody should not have to be tortured and go through the terror and trauma that they put that baby through,” Caraway said.

Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson released a statement reacting to the verdict:

"The Dallas County DA's office continues its investigation into the tragic murder of Shavon Randle. Darius Fields continues to be a person of interest in this investigation. As the investigation is ongoing, the District Attorney's Office has no further comment at this time.”